Problem:

When executing the following command:

cobrun program file=myfile output=outputfile

when the arguments are retrieved in the COBOL application, the “=” character is removed and the argument is bracketed with “()” parentheses, like this:

file(myfile) output(outputfile)

Resolution:

The replacement of the “=” characer by parentheses occurs because of the parsing of the command by the cobrun command. If the application is built as a standalone executable, this parsing of the command-line arguments does not occur, and the values retrieved by the COBOL program are exactly as entered on the command line. To retrieve arguments without the parentheses, use the command:

Cobrun program file==myfile output==outputfile.

A program to test command-line handling is attached to this document.

Example 1:

The compilation command is:

cob –iav cmdline3.cbl  

(compile the program to interpreted code)

Execute the program using:

cobrun cmdline3 file=myfile output=outputfile

The program returns the arguments:

file(myfile) output(outputfile)

Example 2:

The compilation command is:

cob –iav cmdline3.cbl  

(compile the program to interpreted code)

Execute the program using:

cobrun cmdline3 file==myfile output==outputfile

The program returns the arguments

file=myfile output=outputfile

Example 3:

The compilation command is:

cob –x cmdline3.cbl 

(create a standalone executable)

Execute the program using:

./cmdline3 file=myfile output=outputfile

The program returns the arguments:

file=myfile output=outputfile